Series: For A Child’s Sake

April 2011

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. In Indiana, about 17,000 cases of child abuse will come to the attention of local and state officials this year alone. IPR, The Star Press of Muncie, and other local media outlets have joined together to bring you the stories of child abuse, information on how to recognize it, and how to prevent abuse from happening.

Friday, April 1
Today, Marcus Jackman, General Manager of IPR, and Lisa Nellessen-Lara, Executive Editor of The Star Press, speak to IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann. They introduce the series and explain why Indiana should pay attention to stories of child abuse.

Monday, April 4
Today, Marcus Jackman speaks to his father and sister about abuse. Larry Jackman worked for over 20 years with abused and neglected children. Lia Jackman Wheitner has been a therapist in children’s homes and worked in private practice with abuse victims. His story, in two parts:

Wednesday, April 6
Child abuse has many enemies. But today, Star Press reporters Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon profile some of the people who fight child abuse in Delaware County. Their story, in two parts.

Monday, April 11
This month, IPR and other media outlets are focusing on child abuse. Today, we hear from an adult survivor. Counselors say that though most victims remember all or part of their abuse, 60 percent have never talked to anyone about it. For some survivors, it can take more than a decade to get help. IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

Wednesday, April 13
This month, IPR is focusing on child abuse – and today we hear about when those cases go to trial. Some child victims may be afraid to face their abusers in court. Under certain conditions, Indiana law lets courts use a video system so victims can testify from a different location. The closed-circuit equipment is not required, and not every county has the technology. Delaware County Circuit Court Judge Marianne Vorhees recently presided over the county’s first two trials using the video system. She spoke with IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann about how it is used.

Monday, April 18
This month, IPR is focusing on the epidemic of child abuse. Today, IPR’s Marcus Jackman speaks with Don Allbaugh, a licensed clinical social worker in Anderson. Allbaugh talks about the best way to prevent the sexual abuse of children. Surprisingly, it’s not through sex offender registries.

Recidivism statistics quoted in Jackman’s story from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics can be found here.

Wednesday, April 20
Today, we hear about a new program being implemented at Catholic churches in the area. The educational campaign will be focused on teaching children themselves what’s okay and what’s not okay. IPR’s Brian Eckstein reports.

Monday, April 25
This month, IPR and other media outlets are focusing on the epidemic of child abuse. College students training to become child or family counselors know they will hear stories of abuse on a regular basis. Today, IPR’s Audrey Brown speaks with a graduate counseling student about what he’s experienced so far and the career ahead of him.

Wednesday, April 27
This month, IPR and The Star Press have focused on child abuse in our area. Today, these reporters finish the series by talking about what reporting on child abuse is like and how the series has affected them. IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann and Marcus Jackman are joined by The Star Press’s Lisa Nellessen-Lara, Keith Roysdon, and Douglas Walker. Marcus Jackman leads the discussion.